Technology and Dealing With Disaster

Disasters are available in many shapes. In the incomprehensive carnage of last weekend’s tsunami within the Indian Sea, to hurricanes and typhoons, to tornadoes and drought, the world handles the horror of disaster like a component in our lives. Toss in a little bit of human influence through wars, terrorism, or the specter of weapons of mass destruction, and our need to handle and overcome calamity almost becomes routine.

Watching CNN and also the news channels provides a near real-time look at disasters. Although some might find mtss is a bit macabre, additionally, it shows our capability to rapidly react to major occasions, on the global scale. Exactly the same technologies that let us see the aftermath of the tsunami also let us rapidly gather factual data around the extent of the disaster, and employ that for disaster planning and response.

Organizations like the Off-shore Disaster Center, and also the Asia Off-shore Area Network attempt to assist regional nations to construct better disaster planning models and response model through training and timely distribution of information. Regional military organizations participate with one another on joint disaster planning (for apart from wartime-related disaster) to arrange their sources as a result of a regional disaster, and may respond within hrs to major problems.

While carnage around the proportions of the Indian Sea tsunami can’t be controlled in a day or perhaps a couple of days, the communications and real-time information collection around the disaster will most definitely reduce the amount of misery felt by victims at an amount that will not have been possible even 4 decades ago. As aircraft as well as on-site persons (using satellite phones or any other effective mobile communicators) collect info on regions of Sumatra, Thailand, along with other impacted areas, the details are quickly being logged, evaluated, distributed, and prioritized among numerous emergency response centers run by regional governments – in addition to worldwide relief agencies.

In the regional and worldwide response centers coordination further occurs among people of organizations like the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team. MPAT holds frequent disaster response exercises among member nations to make sure coordination lines and pre-planned responses are rapidly performed. All MPAT member nations get access to central databases of planning information, available sources, along with a “command center” mobilized whenever a regional disaster occurs.

Telecommunications and knowledge technology are critical factors within our ability to reply to disaster. Just as real time details are collected, it’s available immediately to any or all participants within the relief effort. Other technology – particularly military technology, can certainly serve a duel use purpose inside a disaster. Exactly the same troop transports made to carry soldiers to war can transport refugees from the disaster. Exactly the same photo reconnaissance aircraft accustomed to monitor opponents can offer a obvious look at the level of harm. Exactly the same technology accustomed to collect electronic intelligence can locate tries to use cell phones, radios, as well as audio signals of individuals stranded in remote areas. Infrared checking accustomed to identify enemy soldiers inside a bunker or building can as fast choose a family stranded inside a jungle.

Should you compare the present reaction to the Indian Sea tsunami towards the results of tsunami damage following eruption from the Krakatoa volcano in 1883, you can observe the level of harm from that disaster wasn’t even noted for several decades.

Generally disaster can’t be predicted. We’re making progress predicting earthquakes, hurricanes, and eruptions – however science isn’t any nearer to effective disaster conjecture than we’re in fully comprehending the human genome. Through effective utilization of communications, it, and duel use military/civilian technology transfer, we’re getting much nearer to reducing the amount of discomfort following a celebration.